Madrid (EFE).- The Canary Islands led overnight stays in all regulated tourist establishments in April, which exceeded 7.5 million nights, which was 3% more than those recorded in the same month of 2022, according to what has been given to meet the INE this Wednesday.
In the field of apartments, the Canary Islands was the preferred destination, with more than 1.9 million overnight stays and an increase of 2.1% compared to April 2022, and the tourist spots with the highest number of nights were San Bartolomé de Tirajana , Aunts and Arona.
At the national level, tourism already considers that covid-19 has been overcome, with almost 110 million nights spent in all types of establishments (hotels and non-hotels) between January and April, 2.6% more than in the same period of 2019, before the pandemic, driven in part by a Holy Week at maximums.
The celebration of Holy Week raised the occupancy figures in April also above that year and the strength of the demand is reflected in the prices, which have been rising continuously since June 2021 and more than compensate for the falls experienced during the months of the pandemic.
Between January and April, 81 million overnight stays were registered in hotels; almost 17 million in apartments; another 8.4 million in campsites, and 2.7 million in rural houses. Except in the apartments -which are almost at par- all the numbers are above those of 2019.
The National Institute of Statistics (INE) has published this Wednesday the occupancy figures for non-hotel accommodation (apartments, campsites, rural houses and hostels) which, added to those of hotels, yield a post-covid photo with record figures for 2019, the best year so far in the sector’s recent history.
In non-hotel accommodation in April, 10.7 million nights were consumed (14.5% more than a year earlier), of which 5.38 million were by citizens residing in Spain and another 5.3 million by non-residents.
In that month, 2.97 million travelers registered in these destinations, who spent an average of 3.6 nights.
In the first four months of 2023, non-hotel overnight stays increased by 16.3% compared to the same period of the previous year. In addition, they exceeded those of the first four months of 2019.
Apartments rose 11% over the previous year, with greater intensity among residents (12%) than among foreigners (10.5%), who represent almost 66% of occupancy, with the United Kingdom as the main issuing market followed by Germany.
Canarias was the preferred destination for apartments, with more than 1.9 million overnight stays, concentrated above all in San Bartolomé de Tirajana, Tías and Arona. The highest occupation occurred in Madrid (76.2% of the homes offered).
By tourist areas, the Costa Blanca was the preferred destination, with almost 740,000 nights and the highest occupancy rate was recorded on the Barcelona coast (86.1%).
3.8 million people stayed in the campsites in April, 22.5% more than in that month of 2022, with 36% non-residents, especially Germans, and with Catalonia as the main destination.
Rural houses housed 1.16 million people in April, 7.6% over the previous year, with greater intensity among non-residents (20% growth). Castilla y León was the preferred destination for rural accommodation.
PRICES KEEP RISING
The Tourist Apartment Price Index (IPAP) rose 8.4% in April compared to the same month in 2022, that of los campines 4.2% and that of rural tourism, 5.1%.
Adding the hotels, which represent 72.4% of the nights consumed, in April 38.8 million nights were made, of which 22.6 were foreigners and 16.15 million nationals.
The main source markets for regulated tourist accommodation as a whole are the British (with 23.3% of all non-resident overnight stays), German (17.8%) and French (10%).
The Canary Islands was the preferred destination, with more than 7.5 million nights (3% more than in April 2022), followed by Catalonia, with more than 6.8 million (and an increase of 16.6%), and Andalusia , with more than 6.3 million (and an increase of 10.4%). EFE